In the main producing areas of Serbia, the blueberry harvest concluded in week 25. «On May 26, the first fruits were already ripe, much earlier than usual. Consequently, the season ended early. In general, we cannot complain about the volumes harvested, although the calibers were a little smaller due to the frost. That is, to reach a certain amount of kilos, more labor was needed," he reports. Luka Maksimovic, head of production abbGrowers in the Topola region. The Serbian subsidiary of this Dutch company has 22 farms in Topola and another 8 in northern Serbia.

abbGrowers farms in the Topola region are fully equipped with netting. / Source: FreshPlaza.de

With prices per kilogram around 4-4,50 euros, the price level has been generally satisfactory, according to Maksimovic. «While many believe that cultivation costs in a non-EU country, such as Serbia, are considerably lower, this is not the case. It is true that labor is a little cheaper, but inputs such as diesel are even somewhat more expensive than in the European Union. “In that sense, we face very much the same conditions.”

Not only in Serbia, but also in other growing areas in Eastern Europe, such as Romania and Ukraine, the blueberry season has started early this year.

Although the harvest is over, “late” fruits can still be found on some plants. / Source: FreshPlaza.de

Due to the overlap of these productions, Serbian exports have lagged somewhat behind. On the other hand, the Serbian domestic market is hardly relevant, according to Maksimovic. «It is very difficult to compete with cheap and locally grown fruit, especially apples. However, I do not rule out the possibility that over time we will be able to export more volumes to neighboring countries, for example, Montenegro.

Sekoya varieties and climate change

Since the soil is clay in the Topola region, abbGrowers has been betting on growing in pots for about seven years. Like most blueberry growers in Serbia, the abbGrowers subsidiary mainly grows the Duke variety. «AbbGrowers is the licensee of the Sekoya varieties and next autumn we will have the first plants on this farm.

Attracted by high harvest volumes, good shelf life and generally attractive prices, we want to expand the cultivation of Sekoya varieties in Serbia in the coming years,” comments Maksimovic.

One of the main challenges for the Serbian berry sector is climate change. «This year, spring frosts, combined with mild winter and early flowering, have affected the crops more than ever. But what worries us most is that the Mediterranean climate with temperatures of up to 40 degrees is increasingly approaching our areas," concludes Maksimovic.